Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season brought its fair share of drama, but few matchups packed the emotional punch of the Broncos-Commanders overtime showdown. Denver escaped with a 27-26 win, and the game came down to one gutsy call, one defensive stand, and one perfectly timed play by Nik Bonitto that sealed it.
Let’s set the scene: overtime, Commanders trailing by one after a touchdown, and head coach Dan Quinn decides to go for two and the win. It was a bold move-one that could’ve rewritten the narrative of Washington’s season. Instead, it became a defining moment for Denver’s defense and Bonitto in particular.
Washington quarterback Marcus Mariota knew what he was up against. Denver defensive coordinator Vance Joseph had been mixing up his looks all day, disguising zero blitzes and then dropping out of them.
But on the two-point try, Joseph dialed it up for real. Full zero blitz.
Mariota recognized it and tried to buy time, drifting back to give his receiver a shot. That’s when Bonitto, lined up way outside left tackle Laremy Tunsil, came screaming off the edge untouched.
The play broke down quickly. With Tunsil sliding inside, Bonitto was left completely unblocked-a rare miscommunication on such a critical snap.
He closed fast, forcing Mariota to rush his throw. The ball never had a chance.
Bonitto’s pressure altered the trajectory just enough, and the pass fell incomplete.
“I knew he was buying time,” Bonitto said postgame. “At that point, I was just trying to make it hard for him to throw the ball, and I ended up knocking it down and we ended up winning the game.”
It was a game of inches, and Bonitto took every one of them.
What made the moment even more impressive was the composure Denver showed leading into it. Just before the snap, the Broncos burned a timeout.
That gave Joseph a moment to reset the call and the defense a chance to regroup. According to Bonitto, that pause was crucial: “It kind of helped calm us down a little bit, be able to get into what we were able to get into and get a stop.”
And what a stop it was. Terry McLaurin, Washington’s top wideout, had shaken free in the end zone.
If Mariota had just a second more-or if Bonitto had been a step slower-this could’ve ended very differently. But that’s the NFL.
The margin between heartbreak and triumph is razor-thin.
For Denver, this win is more than just another notch in the standings. At 10-2, they’re firmly in control of the AFC West and looking every bit like a team ready to make a deep postseason run. The defense continues to make clutch plays, and Bonitto’s emergence as a difference-maker off the edge adds another layer to an already dangerous unit.
Washington, meanwhile, falls to 3-9. And while they showed grit and creativity, especially with the decision to go for two, the loss underscores a season that’s been defined by missed opportunities and tough breaks.
Still, Sunday’s game was a reminder of why we love this league. Strategy, execution, risk, and a little chaos-all wrapped into one overtime thriller. And in the end, it was Nik Bonitto’s hustle and Vance Joseph’s timely call that made the difference.